critical thinking online training

Discover the Top 75 Free Courses for August

Udemy Announces Layoffs Without Saying ‘Layoffs’

Udemy’s latest ‘Strategic Business Update’ uses corporate euphemisms to signal job cuts while pivoting to enterprise clients.

• 7 Best Sketch Courses for 2024
• 8 Best Free Geology Courses for 2024
• 7 Best Climate Change Courses for 2024: Exploring the Science
• [2024] 110+ Hours of Free LinkedIn Learning Courses with Free Certification
• 7 Best Free Haskell Courses for 2024

600 Free Google Certifications

Most common

• project management

Popular subjects

Cybersecurity

Digital Skills

Popular courses

Bioseguridad y equipo de protección para la prevención de COVID-19

Happier Employees and Return-On-Investment Course

Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life

Organize and share your learning with Class Central Lists.

View our Lists Showcase

Critical Thinking Courses and Certifications

Learn Critical Thinking, earn certificates with paid and free online courses from Harvard, Stanford, MIT, University of Pennsylvania and other top universities around the world. Read reviews to decide if a class is right for you.

• Logic Courses
• Argumentation Courses
• Philosophy Courses
• Cognitive Biases Courses
• Scientific Method Courses
• Data Analysis Courses
• Epistemology Courses
• With certificate (701)
• Free course (1576)
• With free certificate (76)
• University course only (527)
• Beginner (332)
• Intermediate (93)
• Advanced (32)
• < 30 mins (552)
• 30 - 60 mins (268)
• 1 - 2 hours (158)
• 2 - 5 hours (126)
• 5 - 10 hours (150)
• 10+ hours (488)
• English (1723)
• Arabic (11)
• Bengali (2)
• Chinese (7)
• French (14)
• Indonesian (1)
• Italian (7)
• Japanese (11)
• Malayalam (1)
• Portuguese (7)
• Russian (16)
• Spanish (65)
• Turkish (13)

Critical Thinking at University: An Introduction

Critical thinking is a vital skill for university study whatever your discipline. Prepare for university now.

• FutureLearn
• 2 weeks, 4 hours a week
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Effective Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

Critical thinking – the application of scientific methods and logical reasoning to problems and decisions – is the foundation of effective problem solving and decision making. Critical thinking enables us to avoid common obstacles, test our beliefs and a…

• 8 hours 22 minutes

Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong

How can you tell if the bold headlines seen on social media are truly touting the next big thing or if the article isn't worth the paper it's printed on?

• 16 hours 53 minutes

The Digital Marketing Revolution

Explore the impact of the digital revolution on marketing with this 4-week course from the University of Illinois. Learn to navigate both analog and digital worlds, with hands-on exercises and case studies.

• 1 day 1 hour 55 minutes

Elements of AI

The elements of AI is a free online course for everyone interested in learning what AI is, what is possible (and not possible) with AI, and how it affects our lives – with no complicated math or programming required.

• Independent
• 6 weeks, 5-10 hours a week
• Free Online Course

Mathematical Economics

After completing this course, you will have learnt: # How to build models by expressing words in symbols, numbers and equations # New techniques to solve complex problems # To measure the effect of change and discover techniques to improve your decision-…

Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age

Most professions these days require more than general intelligence. They require in addition the ability to collect, analyze and think about data. Personal life is enriched when these same skills are applied to problems in everyday life involving judgmen…

• 13 hours 24 minutes

Transformando la educación con IA: ChatGPT

Descubre cómo la inteligencia artificial, especialmente el modelo de lenguaje ChatGPT, puede ser utilizado para potenciar el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje.

• 4 weeks, 4-5 hours a week

Futures Thinking

Learn to anticipate and plan for future scenarios with Arizona State University's 6-week course. Gain tools, knowledge, and strategies for futures thinking under Dr. Timiebi Aganaba's guidance.

• 7 hours 13 minutes

Strategic Thinking for Everyone

Arizona State University's 26-week course enhances strategic thinking through futures imagining, data gathering, perspective-taking, and strategic planning. 1hr/week workload.

• 26 weeks, 1 hour a week
• Paid Course

Strategic Thinking

Learn to analyze, evaluate, and strategize with Arizona State University's 6-week course. Gain insights, identify trends, and make informed decisions under expert guidance.

• 7 hours 12 minutes

Critical thinking: reasoned decision making

Learn to analyze events with intellectual rigor. Identify how reasoned decisions help cope with change.

• 4 weeks, 5-8 hours a week

Decision Making - How to Choose the Right Problem to Solve

Improve your problem-solving skills with this 3-week course by the University of Leeds. Learn to define, analyze, and solve problems using techniques like SWOT analysis.

• 10 hours 36 minutes

Learn to make reasoned decisions in complex situations with Tecnológico de Monterrey's 4-week course. Enhance critical thinking skills for better business strategies and problem-solving.

• 1 day 41 minutes

Critical Thinking Strategies For Better Decisions

Upgrade your problem solving skills and optimize business outcomes by applying the critical thinking process.

Never Stop Learning.

Get personalized course recommendations, track subjects and courses with reminders, and more.

16 Best Free Online Critical Thinking Courses

Written by Argumentful

Critical thinking is one of the most fundamental skills you could focus on. In fact, these skills are so important that many educational institutions have listed them among their central goals. Critical thinking helps you sort the true from the false.

The bad news is that not many people own these skills. Einstein famously said:

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.”

The good news though is that you can improve your thinking and you can do it without breaking the bank.

Below are listed 16 of the best free online critical thinking courses with details regarding their contents.

Go on, choose your preferred course and take action today! (You can thank me later😉!)

P.S. Apart from the general critical thinking courses, I’ve included 5 specific ones which focus on today’s burning issues- fake news and climate change , as well as correctly interpreting randomized clinical trials and screening trials. See numbers 12 to 16 below.

Jump to Section

Critical reasoning for beginners, critical thinking classes at fayetteville state university, logical and critical thinking, critical thinking: fundamentals of good reasoning, philosophy and critical thinking, critical thinking & problem solving, introduction to critical thinking and logic, teaching critical thinking through art with the national gallery of art.

• Critical thinking: Reasoned Decision Making

The Science of Everyday Thinking

Critical thinking at university: an introduction, making sense of news, sorting truth from fiction: civic online reasoning, making sense of climate science denial, thinking critically: interpreting randomized clinical trials, thinking critically series: interpreting screening trials.

Offered by : University of Oxford

Description :

4 hours, 6 modules

1: The Nature of Arguments

How to recognise arguments and what the nature of an argument is

2: Different Types of Arguments

Different types of arguments, in particular deductive and inductive arguments

3: Setting Out Arguments Logic Book Style

How to identify and analyse arguments, and how to set arguments out logic book-style to make them easier to evaluate

4: What is a  Good Argument? Validity and Truth

How to evaluate arguments and how to tell whether an argument is good or bad, focusing specifically on inductive arguments

5: Evaluating Arguments Part One

Evaluation of arguments – this time deductive arguments – focusing in particular on the notion of validity

6: Evaluating Arguments Part Two

Fallacies: bad arguments that can easily be mistaken for good arguments

Also available on YouTube and iTunes

Offered by : Fayetteville State University

24 videos, 24 hours

Lectures from Spring 2011 Critical Thinking classes at Fayetteville State University held by Gregory B. Sadler. The textbook used was Moore And Parker’s Critical Thinking 9th edition .

• Issues, claims, arguments
• Arguments and non-arguments
• Value Judgments
• Complex arguments, unstated premises
• Deductive and inductive arguments with implicit premises
• Deductive and inductive arguments
• Information sources
• Experts and appeal to authority
• Critical thinking and advertising
• Rhetorical devices

Offered by : University Of Auckland

8 Weeks of study, 4 hours weekly

• Identify common flaws in belief construction
• Recognise and reconstruct arguments
• Evaluate arguments as being good or bad
• Analyse arguments using basic logical tools
• Apply basic logical strategies in areas such as science, moral theories and law

Offered by : IsraelX

9 weeks, 4-6 hours per week

You can create a free account on edx.org and have access to the course for 2 months. After 2 months, you can pay £37 to get unlimited access to the course.

The objective of the course is to improve the student’s ability in the basic skills of critical thinking:

• how to recognize arguments,
• how to interpret them,
• how to evaluate them,
• how to construct them.

Lesson 1. What’s “Critical Thinking?” Lesson 2. What are Arguments Made Of? Lesson 3. From Premises to Conclusions Lesson 4. Recognizing Arguments: Introduction Lesson 5. Argument vs. The Text Containing It Lesson 6. Recognizing Conclusions Lesson 7. Arguments vs. Explanations Lesson 8. Argument Diagrams: Introduction Lesson 9. More about Argument Diagrams Lesson 10. Argument Diagrams: Examples Lesson 11. Hedges Lesson 12. Disclaimers Lesson 13. Examples Lesson 14. Rhetorical Language Lesson 15. Referential Attribution Lesson 16. Principles of Interpretation Lesson 17. Implicit Premises Lesson 18. What’s a Good Argument? Lesson 19. More Virtues of Arguments Lesson 20. Argument Ad Hominem Lesson 21. Argument Ad Verecundiam Lesson 22. Argument Ad Populum Lesson 23. Argument Ad Ignorantiam Lesson 24. Argument Ad Baculum and Ad Misericordiam Lesson 25. Venn Diagrams Lesson 26. Beyond Venn Lesson 27. Modus Ponens Lesson 28. Modus Tollens Lesson 29. Conditionals Lesson 30. Reductio Ad Absurdum Lesson 31. Process of Elimination Lesson 32. Separation of Cases Lesson 33. Truth Trees: An Example Lesson 34. How to Grow Truth Trees Lesson 35. Truth Trees: Another Example Lesson 36. Reflexive Relations Lesson 37. Symmetric Relations Lesson 38. Transitive Relations Lesson 39. Inductive Generalization Lesson 40. What’s a Good Sample? Lesson 41. The New Riddle of Induction Lesson 42. From Induction to Causation Lesson 43. Evaluating Causal Generalizations Lesson 44. Argument from Analogy: Basics Lesson 45. Argument from Analogy: Examples Lesson 46. Who Needs Analogues? Lesson 47. Inference to the Best Explanation Lesson 48. Experimentation Lesson 49. Building an Argument Lesson 50. Writing Up an Argument

Offered by : The University of Queensland

6 weeks, 1-4 hours per week

• How to think with clarity and rigour
• How to identify, analyse and construct cogent arguments
• How to think of solutions to the central problems of philosophy
• How to engage in philosophical conversations with others about topics that matter

Offered by : Rochester Institute of Technology

3 weeks, 4-6 hours per week

• How to perform strategic analysis and assessment
• How to perceive and assess a critical need and design a tailored solution
• How to identify key stakeholders and ensure their needs are met
• How to employ adaptive problem-solving
• How to work through obstacles collaboratively
• How to analyse failure to improve future performance

Offered by : Saylor.org Academy

This course will introduce you to critical thinking, informal logic, and a small amount of formal logic. Its purpose is to provide you with the basic tools of analytical reasoning, which will give you a distinctive edge in a wide variety of careers and courses of study. While many university courses focus on the presentation of content knowledge, the emphasis here is on learning how to think effectively. Although the techniques and concepts covered here are classified as philosophical, they are essential to the practice of nearly every major discipline, from the physical sciences and medicine to politics, law, and the humanities.

• Unit 1: Introduction and Meaning Analysis
• Unit 2: Argument Analysis
• Unit 3: Basic Sentential Logic
• Unit 4: Venn Diagrams
• Unit 5: Fallacies
• Unit 6: Scientific Reasoning
• Unit 7: Strategic Reasoning and Creativity

Offered by : Smithsonian Institution

16 weeks, 3-4 hours per week

• How to use Artful Thinking Routines to strengthen thinking.
• How to facilitate meaningful conversations in your classroom using art for artful learning and artful teaching.
• How to help learners of all levels develop more discerning descriptions, evidence-based reasoning, and meaningful questioning habits.
• Key strategies for using content information to push original thinking deeper.
• Exciting, immersive activities for any type of classroom.
• How to use online teaching resources from the National Gallery of Art, including downloadable Artful Thinking lesson plans
• Unit 0: Welcome (2 hours)
• Unit 1: Diving into Thinking Routines (3-4 hours)
• Unit 2: Observing and Describing (3-4 hours)
• Unit 3: Reasoning with Evidence (3-4 hours)
• Unit 4: Questioning and Investigating (3-4 hours)

Critical thinking: reasoned decision making

Offered by : Tecnológico de Monterrey

4 weeks, 5-8 hours per week

• Identify the theories that support critical thinking
• Employ a methodology for the application of critical thinking
• Relate the elements that make up the stages of critical thinking
• Analyse the standards of critical thinking practice
• Assess the responsibility of perpetuating the intellectual values of the resolution analysis
• Distinguish the vices of thought in decision making
• Apply critical thinking to groups

1. Thinking according to our times

1.1 Why critical thinking?

1.2 The exciting world of thinking and criticism

2. Evaluating our modes of thought

2.1 Intellectual values of a good thinker

2.2 Evaluating our critical thinking skills. Avoiding vices and biased thinking

3. Elements and standards of critical thinking

3.1 Elements of a critical thinking process

3.2 Standards to apply to our thinking modes

4. Articulating our decisions making process

4.1 The logic of our decisions and the behaviour derived from them

4.2 How to improve our critical thinking skills and become a fair-minded thinker

12 weeks, 2-3 hours per week

The course explores the psychology of our everyday thinking: why people believe weird things, how we form and change our opinions, why our expectations skew our judgments, and how we can make better decisions. We’ll discuss and debate topics such as placebos, the paranormal, medicine, miracles, and more.

You will use the scientific method to evaluate claims, make sense of evidence, and understand why we so often make irrational choices. You will begin to rely on slow, effortful, deliberative, analytic, and logical thinking rather than fast, automatic, instinctive, emotional, and stereotypical thinking.

• tools for how to think independently, how to be skeptical, and how to value data over personal experience.
• examining the mental shortcuts that people use and misuse, and apply this knowledge to help make better decisions, and improve critical thinking.

Offered by : University of Leeds

2 weeks, 4 hours weekly

• What is critical thinking?
• A model for critical thinking
• Why is critical thinking important at university?
• Challenges to thinking critically at university
• How can you improve your critical thinking?
• How will critical thinking help you at university?

Offered by : University of Hong Kong

4 weeks, 2-3 hours per week

This course will help you identify reliable information in news reports and become better informed about the world we live in. A discussion on journalism from the viewpoint of the news audience.

• What makes news? The blurred lines between news, promotion and entertainment.
• Why does news matter? Social sharing and the dynamics of the news cycles.
• Who provides information? How to evaluate sources in news reports.
• Where is the evidence? The process of verification.
• When should we act? Recognizing our own biases.
• How do we know what we know? Becoming an active news audience.

You’ll learn to:

• Distinguish news from opinion; media bias from audience bias; assertion from verification
• Apply critical thinking skills to examine the validity of information
• Contextualize the knowledge gained from news report
• Respond quickly to daily news events and make an informed decision

Offered by : Massachusetts Institute of Technology

9 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Course aimed at fighting fake news and misinformation

Educators—from teachers to librarians—will learn about:

• New knowledge that can be applied in your lessons and resources for your own students.
• How to shift from ineffective information literacy practices towards the kinds of strategies employed by professional fact-checkers.

Unit 1: Search Like a Fact Checker

Unit 2: The Two Big Fact Checker Moves: Lateral Reading & Click Restraint

Unit 3: Evaluating Different Types of Evidence

Unit 4: Adapting Civic Online Reasoning

7 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

WEEK 1: Understanding The Climate Controversy During the first week of the course, we introduce the course content, interact with each other and complete an introductory survey. The week continues with an exploration of political consensus, the drivers and psychology of climate science denial and an overview of the controversy surrounding this topic.

WEEK 2: Global Warming Is Happening In week two, we will look at the indicators of global warming and myths related to temperature and glaciers.

WEEK 3: We Are Causing Global Warming Week three focuses on the ways in which humans cause climate change and the myths associated with the greenhouse effect and the rise in carbon dioxide.

WEEK 4: The Past Tells Us About The Future This week looks at the history of climate change in order to model future climate change. We also address myths related to models.

WEEK 5: We Are Feeling The Impacts Of Climate Change Week five covers climate feedbacks and the impacts of climate change on the environment, society and the weather.

WEEK 6 and 7: Responding to Denial The final weeks of the course look more closely at the psychology of science denial and debunking techniques. We also complete a peer assessment that asks students to practice debunking strategies on real myths that can be found in today’s media.

Approach: mini-lectures, video interviews, quizzes, activities, a peer assessed writing assignment, and readings.

Offered by : Stanford University

1 week, 2-3 hours

This course seeks to fulfil the clinical community’s need to improve skills in the critical evaluation of clinical research papers. Competency in critical appraisal skills can have a significant impact by improving clinical practice, quality of research projects, and peer-review of manuscripts and grants. The course will utilize efficient and engaging videos with relevant clinical examples to cover essential research methodology principles.

• Analyse the concepts of randomization and blinding in reducing bias.
• Develop strategies to critically appraise randomized clinical trials and determine if study results are valid.
• Analyse the key design features of screening studies.
• Develop strategies to critically appraise screening studies and determine if study results are valid.

You May Also Like…

The Importance of Critical Thinking when Using ChatGPT (and Other Large Language Models)

Artificial intelligence has made tremendous strides in recent years, allowing for the creation of conversational AI...

How to Critically Evaluate News and Media Sources

I think we all agree that access to information has never been easier. With the click of a button, we can access an...

Critical Thinking in the Workplace

Imagine that you're in a job interview and the interviewer asks you to describe a time when you had to solve a complex...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Outside USA: +1‑607‑330‑3200

Critical Thinking Cornell Certificate Program

Overview and courses.

Have you ever known a very intelligent person who made a very bad decision?

Critical problem solving is both a discipline and a skill; one that even very smart people can benefit from learning. Careful thought around decisions can help your teams and organizations thrive. And in today’s age of automation, it’s never been a more essential mindset to develop at every level of a company.

In this certificate program, you will practice a disciplined, systematic approach to problem solving. You will learn how to deeply analyze a problem, assess possible solutions and associated risks, and hone your strategic decision-making skills by following a methodology based on tested actions and sound approaches. Whether you’re interested in preparing for a management role or already lead an execution function, you’ll come away better equipped to confidently tackle any decision large or small, make a compelling business case, and apply influence in your organization in a way that creates the optimal conditions for success.

The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.

This program includes a year of free access to Symposium! These events feature several days of live, highly participatory virtual Zoom sessions with Cornell faculty and experts to explore the most pressing leadership topics. Symposium events are held several times throughout the year. Once enrolled in your program, you will receive information about upcoming events.

Throughout the year, you may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete the certificate program.

Course list

Problem-solving using evidence and critical thinking.

Have you ever known a very intelligent person who made a very bad decision? If so, you know that having a high IQ does not guarantee that you automatically make critically thoughtful decisions. Critically thoughtful problem-solving is a discipline and a skill—one that allows you to make decisions that are the product of careful thought, and the results of those decisions help your team and organization thrive.

In this course you will practice a disciplined, systematic approach to problem solving that helps ensure that your analysis of a problem is comprehensive, is based on quality, credible evidence, and takes full and fair account of the most probable counterarguments and risks. The result of this technique is a thoroughly defensible assessment of what the problem is, what is causing it, and the most effective plan of action to address it. Finally, you will identify and frame a problem by assessing its context and develop a well-reasoned and implementable solution that addresses the underlying causes.

Making a Convincing Case for Your Solution

When trying to persuade someone, the tendency is to begin in advocacy mode—for example: “Here's something I want you to agree to.” Most people do not react positively to the feeling of being sold something. The usual reaction is to literally or figuratively start backing up. To make a convincing case, it is more effective to engage with the decision maker as a partner in problem-solving. This makes your counterpart feel less like someone is trying to get them to buy something and more like you are working together to bring about an outcome that is desirable to both parties. Begin by asking yourself: “What is the problem you and the decision maker are solving together?”

By the end of this course, you will have learned how to deeply analyze a problem, possible solutions, and the associated risks as well as the most persuasive and efficient ways of presenting your proposal.

You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Solve Problems Using Evidence and Critical Thinking

Strategic Decision Making

The ability to make effective and timely decisions is an essential skill for successful executives. Mastery of this skill influences all aspects of day-to-day operations as well as strategic planning. In this course, developed by Professor Robert Bloomfield, Ph.D. of Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, you will hone your decision-making skills by following a methodology based on tested actions and sound organizational approaches. You will leave this course better equipped to confidently tackle any decision large or small, and you'll do so in a way that creates the optimal conditions for success.

Navigating Power Relationships

Leaders at every level need to be able to execute on their ideas. In virtually every case, this means that leaders need to be able to persuade others to join in this execution. In order to do so, understanding how to create and utilize power in an organization is critical.

In this course, developed by Professor Glen Dowell, Ph.D., of Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, students will focus on their personal relationship with power as well as how power works in their organization and social network.

Project Management Institute (PMI ® ) Continuing Certification : Participants who successfully complete this course will receive 6 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from PMI ® . Please contact PMI ® for details about professional project management certification or recertification.

Interpreting the Behavior of Others

Applying strategic influence.

Being able to influence others is the most fundamental characteristic of an effective leader, but many people in positions of power don't know specifically how they are influencing others' behavior in positive directions. They let it happen by chance or use their formal authority—getting people to do things because “the boss said so.” But as leaders gets promoted within their organization, using formal authority becomes less effective as they not only need to influence subordinates, but also peers, external stakeholders, and superiors.  In this course, Professor Filipowicz explores the three complementary levels of influence. First, you will explore heuristics, or rules of thumb, that people use in order to make decisions. Next, you will learn how to influence through reciprocity by uncovering what the person you want to influence wants and needs. Lastly, you will learn how to alter the social and physical environment in order to get the change in behavior you want. By the end of this course, you'll have the skills to consistently draw out the desired behaviors from your team and from those around you. 

Leadership Symposium   LIVE

Symposium sessions feature three days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions that will explore today’s most pressing topics. The Leadership Symposium offers you a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond. Using the context of your own experiences, you will take part in reflections and small-group discussions to build on the skills and knowledge you have gained from your courses.

Join us for the next Symposium in which we’ll discuss the ways that leaders across industries have continued engaging their teams over the past two years while pivoting in strategic ways. You will support your coursework by applying your knowledge and experiences to relevant topics for leaders. Throughout this Symposium, you will examine different areas of leadership, including innovation, strategy, and engagement. By participating in relevant and engaging discussions, you will discover a variety of perspectives and build connections with your fellow participants from various industries.

Upcoming Symposium: October 15-17, 2024 from 11am – 1pm ET

All sessions are held on Zoom.

Future dates are subject to change. You may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete any certificate program. Once enrolled in your courses, you will receive information about upcoming events. Accessibility accommodations will be available upon request.

How It Works

• View slide #1
• View slide #2
• View slide #3
• View slide #4
• View slide #5
• View slide #6
• View slide #7
• View slide #8
• View slide #9

Faculty Authors

• Certificates Authored

Risa Mish is professor of practice of management at the Johnson Graduate School of Management. She designed and teaches the MBA Core course in Critical and Strategic Thinking, in addition to teaching courses in leadership and serving as faculty co-director of the Johnson Leadership Fellows program.

She has been the recipient of the MBA Core Faculty Teaching Award, selected by the residential program MBA class to honor the teacher who “best fosters learning through lecture, discussion and course work in the required core curriculum”; the Apple Award for Teaching Excellence, selected by the MBA graduating classes to honor a faculty member who “exemplifies outstanding leadership and enduring educational influence”; the “Best Teacher Award”, selected by the graduating class of the Cornell-Tsinghua dual degree MBA/FMBA program offered by Johnson at Cornell and the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University; the Stephen Russell Distinguished Teaching Award, selected by the five-year MBA reunion class to honor a faculty member whose “teaching and example have continued to influence graduates five years into their post-MBA careers”; and the Globe Award for Teaching Excellence, selected by the Executive MBA graduating class to honor a faculty member who “demonstrates a command of subject matter and also possesses the creativity, dedication, and enthusiasm essential to meet the unique challenges of an EMBA education.”

Mish serves as a keynote speaker and workshop leader at global, national, and regional conferences for corporations and trade associations in the consumer products, financial services, health care, high tech, media, and manufacturing industries, on a variety of topics, including critical thinking and problem solving, persuasion and influence, and motivating optimal employee performance. Before returning to Cornell, Mish was a partner in the New York City law firm of Collazo Carling & Mish LLP (now Collazo Florentino & Keil LLP), where she represented management clients on a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including defense of employment discrimination claims in federal and state courts and administrative agencies, and in labor arbitrations and negotiations under collective bargaining agreements. Prior to CC&M, Mish was a labor and employment law associate with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City, where she represented Fortune 500 clients in the financial services, consumer products, and manufacturing industries. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and state and federal courts in New York and Massachusetts.

Mish is a member of the board of directors of SmithBucklin Corporation, the world’s largest trade association management company, headquartered in Chicago and TheraCare Corporation, headquartered in New York City. She formerly served as a Trustee of the Tompkins County Public Library, Vice Chair of the board of directors of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, and member of the board of directors of the United Way of Tompkins County.

• Omnichannel Leadership Program
• Corporate Communication
• Intrapreneurship
• Management 360

Critical Thinking

• Performance Leadership
• Executive Leadership
• Change Management

Glen Dowell is an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University. He researches in the area of corporate sustainability, with a focus on firm environmental performance. Recent projects have investigated the effect of local demographic factors on changes in pollution levels, the role of corporate merger and acquisition in facilitating changes in facility environmental performance, and the relative influence of financial return and disruption on the commercial adoption of energy savings initiatives.

Professor Dowell’s research has been published in Management Science, Organization Studies, Advances in Strategic Management, Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Management, Industrial and Corporate Change, Journal of Business Ethics, and Administrative Science Quarterly. He is senior editor at Organization Science and co-editor of Strategic Organization, is on the editorial boards of Strategic Management Journal and Administrative Science Quarterly, and represents Cornell on the board of the Alliance for Research in Corporate Sustainability (ARCS). He is also the Division Chair for the Organizations and Natural Environment Division of the Academy of Management.

Professor Dowell teaches Sustainable Global Enterprise and Critical and Strategic Thinking. He is a faculty affiliate for the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise and a faculty fellow at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.

• Sustainable Business
• Hotel Management and Owner Relations
• Executive Healthcare Leadership

Since coming to the Johnson Graduate School of Management in 1991, Robert J. Bloomfield has used laboratory experiments to study financial markets and investor behavior. He has also published in all major business disciplines, including finance, accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, and operations research. Professor Bloomfield served as director of the Financial Accounting Standards Research Initiative (FASRI), an activity of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and is an editor of a special issue of Journal of Accounting Research dedicated to Registered Reports of empirical research. Professor Bloomfield has recently taken on editorship of Journal of Financial Reporting, which is pioneering an innovative editorial process intended to broaden the range of research methods used in accounting, improve the quality of research execution, and encourage the honest reporting of findings.

• Management Accounting for Leaders
• Strategic Healthcare Leadership
• Management Accounting

Allan Filipowicz is clinical professor of management and organizations at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Professor Filipowicz’s research focuses on how emotions drive or impede leadership effectiveness, at both the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. Within this domain, he studies the relationship between emotions and risky decision making; the influence of humor on both leadership and negotiation effectiveness; the impact of emotional transitions in negotiations; and the relationship between genes, chronotype (morningness–eveningness) and performance. His work has been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Journal of Operations Management, International Journal of Forecasting, Creativity Research Journal, Journal of Circadian Rhythms, and Scientific Reports.

Professor Filipowicz teaches Managing and Leading Organizations (recently winning a Best Core Faculty Award), Negotiations, Executive Leadership and Development, Leading Teams, and Critical and Strategic Thinking. He has taught executives across the globe, from Singapore to Europe to the US, with recent clients including Medtronic, Bayer, Google, Pernod Ricard, and Harley-Davidson. Professor Filipowicz received his PhD from Harvard University. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School, an MA in International Affairs from the University of Pennsylvania, and degrees in electrical engineering (MEng, BS) and economics (BA) from Cornell University. His professional experience includes banking (Bankers Trust, New York) and consulting, including running his own boutique consulting firm and four years with The Boston Consulting Group in Paris.

• Adaptive Healthcare Strategy
• Negotiation Mastery
• Psychology of Leadership

Key Course Takeaways

• Respond decisively and consistently when faced with situations that require a decision
• Assess the context of the problem
• Summarize your analysis of the problem
• Analyze potential solutions from multiple perspectives
• Build a compelling business case for your solution
• Improve your ability to exercise influence in your organization and activate your network to achieve goals
• Establish responsibilities and accountabilities to ensure effective follow-through on decisions made

JOIN A LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM!

Download a brochure.

What You'll Earn

• Critical Thinking Certificate from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management
• 60 Professional Development Hours (6 CEUs)
• 38 Professional Development Units (PDUs) toward PMI recertification
• 30 Professional Development Credits (PDCs) toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification
• 30 Credit hours towards HRCI recertification

Watch the Video

Who should enroll.

• C-level executives, VPs, managers
• Industry leaders with 2-10+ years experience
• Mid-level professionals looking to move into leadership roles
• Engineers and designers leading projects
• Consultants or analysts
• Anyone whose work involves devising, proposing, and defending evidence-based solutions

“eCornell puts you in control of your education entrepreneurship. It allows you to choose what you need to learn and how you need to learn it at the right time.”

Request information now by completing the form below..

Enter your information to get access to a virtual open house with the eCornell team to get your questions answered live.

Corporate Critical Thinking Training Course

Edstellar's instructor-led Critical Thinking training course aids employees in developing critical thinking skills and making effective decisions in a corporate environment. This course covers analyzing solutions to problems, probing strengths and weaknesses, and improving a continuous improvement culture by enhancing communication strategies.

Drive Team Excellence with Critical Thinking Corporate Training

Empower your teams with expert-led on-site/in-house or virtual/online Critical Thinking Training through Edstellar, a premier Critical Thinking training company for organizations globally. Our customized training program equips your employees with the skills, knowledge, and cutting-edge tools needed for success. Designed to meet your specific training needs, this Critical Thinking group training program ensures your team is primed to drive your business goals. Transform your workforce into a beacon of productivity and efficiency.

The Critical Thinking training course enhances analytical skills and decision-making abilities, focusing on practical strategies for solving complex problems and enhancing innovation. Professionals will learn critical thinking techniques, problem solving methodologies, and ways to analyze and interpret information effectively, preparing them to tackle real-world challenges confidently.

Edstellar's Critical Thinking Instructor-led training is structured to transform your professionals into strategic thinkers who can confidently navigate the corporate world's complexities. We offer flexible training delivery methods to suit your needs. Whether it's onsite/virtual Critical Thinking training sessions, we've got you covered. Our interactive sessions, led by industry experts, provide hands-on experience applying critical thinking skills to real-world scenarios.

Key Skills Employees Gain from Critical Thinking Training

Critical Thinking skills corporate training will enable teams to effectively apply their learnings at work.

• Process Improvement
• Effective Communication
• Decision Making
• Data Analysis
• Problem Identification
• Strategic Decision Making

Key Learning Outcomes of Critical Thinking Training Workshop

Edstellar’s Critical Thinking training will not only help your teams to acquire fundamental skills but also attain invaluable learning outcomes, enhancing their proficiency and enabling application of knowledge in a professional environment. By completing our Critical Thinking workshop, teams will to master essential Critical Thinking and also focus on introducing key concepts and principles related to Critical Thinking at work.

Employees who complete Critical Thinking training will be able to:

• Utilize critical thinking techniques to foster innovation and creative solutions within teams and projects
• Identify and address key challenges in organizational processes, improving overall efficiency and effectiveness
• Cultivate a proactive risk assessment and management approach, contributing to more resilient business practices
• Master the ability to analyze and interpret diverse data sets, leading to more informed and strategic business decisions
• Enhance communication skills to articulate and debate ideas clearly, facilitating better collaboration and team dynamics
• Develop and apply advanced critical thinking strategies to enhance problem-solving and decision-making skills in complex business scenarios

Key Benefits of the Critical Thinking Corporate Training

Attending our Critical Thinking classes tailored for corporations offers numerous advantages. Through our on-site/in-house or virtual/online Critical Thinking training classes, participants will gain confidence and comprehensive insights, enhance their skills, and gain a deeper understanding of Critical Thinking.

• Encourages effective communication, improving team collaboration and project outcomes
• Nurtures the skills necessary for innovative thinking, fostering creativity and out-of-the-box solutions
• Develops critical analysis skills, enabling team members to evaluate situations and data more accurately
• Strengthens decision making abilities, leading to more strategic and informed choices in business operations
• Equips the team with robust problem-solving skills, enhancing their ability to tackle complex challenges efficiently

Topics and Outline of Critical Thinking Training

Our virtual and on-premise Critical Thinking training curriculum is divided into multiple modules designed by industry experts. This Critical Thinking training for organizations provides an interactive learning experience focused on the dynamic demands of the field, making it relevant and practical.

Critical Thinking and Creative Problem-Solving Essentials

• Apply creative problem-solving in the workplace
• Differentiate between creativity and innovation
• Apply the steps of critical thinking and understand the connections between ideas and facts
• Analyze and evaluate data and establish significance
• Identify various conclusions, weigh strengths and limitations of all possible outcomes

Leveraging Personal Thinking Styles

• Identify your natural brain dominance with the Triune Brain Theory
• Assess your preferred approach to thinking, along with your strengths and opportunities
• Leverage your left- or right-brain dominance
• Enhance your whole-brain thinking
• Recognize and adapt to others' preferred thinking styles

Unleashing Your Creativity

• Explore your creativity
• Utilize tools and techniques to become more creative
• Identify elements that stimulate creativity
• Eliminate barriers to innovation
• Avoid groupthink, which can lead to poor outcomes
• Unscramble the iterative mind
• Move between the left and right brain
• Value non-dominant preferences
• Deploy divergent and convergent thinking

Solving Problems Using Analysis and Prioritization Tools

• Apply analysis models for problem-solving
• Set priorities for taking action to solve a problem
• Evaluate problems around people, processes, and technology
• Deconstruct problems using the stair-step technique, which focuses on solving a problem step-by-step
• Create a satisfaction scale to help you choose the best solution

Translating Creativity and Analysis into Practical Application

• Overcome the "It won't work here" mentality
• Analyze for outcomes, not solutions
• Clearly express analysis results

Putting It All Together

• Reinforce your newly developed creative thinking skills
• Construct a blueprint for your action plan
• Educate others with creative tools
• Practice creative and critical thinking skills

Target Audience for Critical Thinking Training Course

Critical Thinking training course is for project managers, team leaders, HR professionals, business analysts, marketing executives, and IT managers.

The Critical Thinking training program can also be taken by professionals at various levels in the organization.

• Critical Thinking training for managers
• Critical Thinking training for staff
• Critical Thinking training for leaders
• Critical Thinking training for executives
• Critical Thinking training for workers
• Critical Thinking training for businesses
• Critical Thinking training for beginners
• Critical Thinking group training
• Critical Thinking training for teams
• Critical Thinking short course

Prerequisites for Critical Thinking Training

The Critical Thinking training can be taken by professionals with a basic understanding of communication skills and a willingness to engage in analytical thinking and open-minded discussion.

Corporate Training Delivery Modes for Critical Thinking Training

At Edstellar, we understand the importance of impactful and engaging training for employees. To ensure the training is more interactive, we offer Face-to-Face onsite/in-house or virtual/online for companies. This approach has proven to be effective, outcome-oriented, and produces a well-rounded training experience for your teams.

Our virtual training sessions bring expert-led, high-quality training to your teams anywhere, ensuring consistency and seamless integration into their schedules.

Edstellar's onsite training delivers immersive and insightful learning experiences right in the comfort of your office.

Edstellar's off-site training programs offer a unique opportunity for teams to immerse themselves in focused and dynamic learning environments away from their usual workplace distractions.

Explore Our Customized Pricing Package
for Critical Thinking Corporate Training

Elevate your team's performance with our customized Critical Thinking training. Find transparent pricing options to match your training needs. Start maximizing your team's potential now.

No. of Courses selected: 0

Send us your Training Requirements in 3 Easy steps

• Add the required training workshops
• Upload to get a quick quote or email it to [email protected]

File has been successfully uploaded.

Looking for a one-time pricing option for all your annual training requirements?

Select Number of Recurring Events

Review your Requirements

Course Name

Critical Thinking Training

1. No of Participants

2. Type of training Requested

3. No of Batches

Training Workshops Selected :

Tailor-Made Licenses with Our Exclusive Training Packages!

64 hours of training (includes VILT/In-person On-site)

Tailored for SMBs

160 hours of training (includes VILT/In-person On-site)

Ideal for growing SMBs

400 hours of training (includes VILT/In-person On-site)

Designed for large corporations

Unlimited duration

Edstellar: Your Go-to Critical Thinking Training Company

Experienced trainers.

Our trainers bring years of industry expertise to ensure the training is practical and impactful.

Quality Training

With a strong track record of delivering training worldwide, Edstellar maintains its reputation for its quality and training engagement.

Industry-Relevant Curriculum

Our course is designed by experts and is tailored to meet the demands of the current industry.

Customizable Training

Our course can be customized to meet the unique needs and goals of your organization.

Comprehensive Support

We provide pre and post training support to your organization to ensure a complete learning experience.

Multilingual Training Capabilities

We offer training in multiple languages to cater to diverse and global teams.

What Our Clients Say

We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional training solutions. Here's what our clients have to say about their experiences with Edstellar.

"Edstellar's IT Service Management training has been transformative. Our IT teams have seen significant improvements through multiple courses delivered at our office by expert trainers. Excellent feedback has prompted us to extend the training to other teams."

"Edstellar's quality and process improvement training courses have been fantastic for our team of quality engineers, process engineers and production managers. It’s helped us improve quality and streamline manufacturing processes. Looking ahead, we’re excited about taking advanced courses in quality management, and project management, to keep improving in the upcoming months."

"Partnering with Edstellar for web development training was crucial for our project requirements. The training has equipped our developers with the necessary skills to excel in these technologies. We're excited about the improved productivity and quality in our projects and plan to continue with advanced courses."

"Partnering with Edstellar for onsite ITSM training courses was transformative. The training was taken by around 80 IT service managers, project managers, and operations managers, over 6 months. This has significantly improved our service delivery and standardized our processes. We’ve planned the future training sessions with the company."

"Partnering with Edstellar for onsite training has made a major impact on our team. Our team, including quality assurance, customer support, and finance professionals have greatly benefited. We've completed three training sessions, and Edstellar has proven to be a reliable training partner. We're excited for future sessions."

"Edstellar's online training on quality management was excellent for our quality engineers and plant managers. The scheduling and coordination of training sessions was smooth. The skills gained have been successfully implemented at our plant, enhancing our operations. We're looking forward to future training sessions."

"Edstellar's online AI and Robotics training was fantastic for our 15 engineers and technical specialists. The expert trainers and flexible scheduling across different time zones were perfect for our global team. We're thrilled with the results and look forward to future sessions."

"Edstellar's onsite process improvement training was fantastic for our team of 20 members, including managers from manufacturing, and supply chain management. The innovative approach, and comprehensive case studies with real-life examples were highly appreciated. We're excited about the skills gained and look forward to future training."

"Edstellar's professional development training courses were fantastic for our 50+ team members, including developers, project managers, and consultants. The multiple online sessions delivered over several months were well-coordinated, and the trainer's methodologies were highly effective. We're excited to continue our annual training with Edstellar."

"Edstellar's IT service management training for our 30 team members, including IT managers, support staff, and network engineers, was outstanding. The onsite sessions conducted over three months were well-organized, and it helped our team take the exams. We are happy about the training and look forward to future collaborations."

"Edstellar's office productivity training for our 40+ executives, including project managers and business analysts, was exceptional. The onsite sessions were well-organized, teaching effective tool use with practical approaches and relevant case studies. Everyone was delighted with the training, and we're eager for more future sessions."

"Edstellar's quality management training over 8 months for our 15+ engineers and quality control specialists was outstanding. The courses addressed our need for improved diagnostic solutions, and the online sessions were well-organized and effectively managed. We're thrilled with the results and look forward to more."

"Edstellar's digital marketing training for our small team of 10, including content writers, SEO analysts, and digital marketers, was exactly what we needed. The courses delivered over a few months addressed our SEO needs, and the online sessions were well-managed. We're very happy with the results and look forward to more."

"Edstellar's telecommunications training was perfect for our small team of 12 network engineers and system architects. The multiple online courses delivered over a few months addressed our needs for network optimization and cloud deployment. The training was well-managed, and the case studies were very insightful. We're thrilled with the outcome."

"Edstellar's professional development training was fantastic for our 50+ participants, including team leaders, analysts, and support staff. Over several months, multiple courses were well-managed and delivered as per the plan. The trainers effectively explained topics with insightful case studies and exercises. We're happy with the training and look forward to more."

Course Completion Certificate

Upon successful completion of the Critical Thinking training course offered by Edstellar, employees receive a course completion certificate, symbolizing their dedication to ongoing learning and professional development. This certificate validates the employee's acquired skills and is a powerful motivator, inspiring them to enhance their expertise further and contribute effectively to organizational success.

We have Expert Trainers to Meet Your Critical Thinking Training Needs

The instructor-led training is conducted by certified trainers with extensive expertise in the field. Participants will benefit from the instructor's vast knowledge, gaining valuable insights and practical skills essential for success in Access practices.

View Profile

Other Related Corporate Training Courses

Explore more courses.

Edstellar is a one-stop instructor-led corporate training and coaching solution that addresses organizational upskilling and talent transformation needs globally. Edstellar offers 2000+ tailored programs across disciplines that include Technical, Behavioral, Management, Compliance, Leadership and Social Impact.

Alison's New App is now available on iOS and Android! Download Now

Are you a business or organisation seeking to train and upskill your employees?

If yes, check out Alison’s Free LMS here!

header.all_certificate_courses

Personal development, sales & marketing, engineering & construction, teaching & academics.

Become an Alison Affiliate in one click, and start earning money by sharing any page on the Alison website.

• Change Language

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills

This free online course includes:.

• Hours of Learning
• CPD Accreditation
• Final Assessment

Rate This Course & Get Better Recommendations!

Thanks for your review, in this free course, you will learn how to.

This course, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills, will provide you with an understanding of creative problem solving. You will learn the problem solving method. You will be able to explain information gathering and problem definition. You will also learn about preparing for brainstorming, generating solutions, analyzing solutions, and selecting a solution.

This course then explains critical thinking. You will learn about components of critical thinking, non-linear thinking, and logical thinking. You will also learn about critical thinkers. Students will learn about evaluating the information and the benefits of critical thinking. The module then talks about problem solving.

This course then wraps up with organizational skills. You will learn how to remove the clutter. Students will also learn how to prioritize their time and schedule with to do lists. Students will also learn about paper and paperless storage as well as how to organize their work area. The course concludes with tools to fight procrastination and avoiding disorganization. By taking this course you will learn problem solving. critical thinking, and organizational skills. So why wait? Start learning today.

All Alison courses are free to enrol study and complete. To successfully complete this course and become an Alison Graduate, you need to achieve 80% or higher in each course assessment. Once you have completed this course, you have the option to acquire an official Diploma, which is a great way to share your achievement with the world.

Your Alison is:

• Ideal for sharing with potential employers
• Great for your CV, professional social media profiles and job applications.
• An indication of your commitment to continuously learn, upskill & achieve high results.
• An incentive for you to continue empowering yourself through lifelong learning.

Alison offers 3 types of Diplomas for completed Diploma courses:

• Digital : a downloadable in PDF format immediately available to you when you complete your purchase.
• : a physical version of your officially branded and security-marked , posted to you with FREE shipping.
• Framed : a physical version of your officially branded and security marked in a stylish frame, posted to you with FREE shipping.

All s are available to purchase through the Alison Shop . For more information on purchasing Alison , please visit our FAQs . If you decide not to purchase your Alison , you can still demonstrate your achievement by sharing your Learner Record or Learner Achievement Verification, both of which are accessible from your Account Settings . For more details on our pricing, please visit our Pricing Page

Knowledge & Skills You Will Learn

Complete this cpd accredited course & get your certificate , certify your skills, stand out from the crowd, advance in your career.

Learner Reviews & Feedback For Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills

Want to create a customised learning path for your team.

Our dedicated Learning Advisors are here to help you curate a customised learning path tailored to your organisation's needs and goals.

Explore Careers Related To This Course

Not sure where to begin or even what you want to do.

Discover the career most suitable for you and get started in the field with a step-by-step plan.

About Your Alison Course Publisher

- alison stats, more free online courses by this publisher, learners who took this course also enrolled in, explore subjects related to this course.

Join our community of 40 million+ learners, upskill with CPD UK accredited courses, explore career development tools and psychometrics - all for free.

• Reset password form here

Enter your friend's email address

Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

Are there any services that can help me use more critical thinking?

We understand that it's difficult to learn how to use critical thinking more effectively in just one article, but our service is here to help.

We are a team specializing in writing essays and other assignments for college students and all other types of customers who need a helping hand in its making. We cover a great range of topics, offer perfect quality work, always deliver on time and aim to leave our customers completely satisfied with what they ordered.

The ordering process is fully online, and it goes as follows:

• Select the topic and the deadline of your essay.
• Provide us with any details, requirements, statements that should be emphasized or particular parts of the essay writing process you struggle with.
• Leave the email address, where your completed order will be sent to.
• Select your prefered payment type, sit back and relax!

With lots of experience on the market, professionally degreed essay writers , online 24/7 customer support and incredibly low prices, you won't find a service offering a better deal than ours.

• Inservice Information Request Form
• The State of Critical Thinking Today
• Higher Education
• K-12 Instruction
• Customized Webinars and Online Courses for Faculty
• Business & Professional Groups
• The Center for Critical Thinking Community Online
• Certification in the Paul-Elder Approach to Critical Thinking
• Certification Online Course
• Professional Development Model - College and University
• Professional Development Model for K-12
• Workshop Descriptions
• Online Courses in Critical Thinking
• Critical Thinking Training for Law Enforcement
• Consulting for Leaders and Key Personnel at Your Organization
• Critical Thinking Therapy

Translate this page from English...

*Machine translated pages not guaranteed for accuracy. Click Here for our professional translations.

Fall 2024 Online Courses

Courses Count Toward  Certification in Our Approach

Section Links . . .

Important Deadlines:

• Read Here

Course Offerings:

• CT700 - How to Infuse Critical Thinking Into Your Instruction

• CT800 - Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of You Learning and Your Life

• CT701 - How to Infuse Critical Thinking Into Instruction, Part II: Advanced Course

General Information:

• How the Courses Work

• Our Instructors

• Testimonials

Important Deadlines

August 19, 2024: Last day to drop with a full registration refund.

August 20, 2024: Instruction begins.

September 1, 2024: Last day to register .

October 15, 2024: Last day to drop with a prorated registration refund ($25 minimum refund deduction once the course begins).

December 10, 2024: Semester ends.

Course Offerings

Ct700 - how to infuse critical thinking into your instruction.

This course  introduces a substantive conception of critical thinking and how to infuse this concept throughout your instruction. It fosters understanding of how to teach critical thinking skills to students through any subject or discipline, and at any level of instruction. In this course, you will be introduced to the elements of reasoning, universal intellectual standards, and intellectual traits through readings, discussions, and practical application activities. You will redesign lessons and strategies using the concepts and principles of critical thinking. You will practice strategies for Socratic discussions. You will help students learn to consciously use critical thinking concepts and strategies in learning, and in their lives. You will redesign and teach lessons you develop for your own classes - and receive course credit for doing so! 

As you apply your mind in this course, you can expect to:

• deepen your understanding of the foundations of critical thinking;

• develop skills and abilities in placing fairminded critical thinking at the heart of teaching and learning, including explicitly emphasizing the development of Intellectual Virtues among your students;
• design instruction that fosters explicit critical thinking throughout your course(s);
• help your students learn the tools they need for developing as ethical critical thinkers;
• come to understand the role that native pathologies of human thought play in impeding intellectual development;
• explicitly use the Elements of Reasoning and Intellectual Standards to create critical thinking lessons in your subject area(s);
• help students cultivate their ability to think within key concepts in your subject(s) and discipline(s); and
• create lessons and assessment processes that dovetail with fostering critical thinking at every moment of teaching and learning.

CT800 - Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life

Since few people realize the powerful role that thinking plays in their lives, few gain significant command of it. Most people are frequently victims of their thinking; that is, they are hurt  rather than helped   by it. Most people are their own worst enemies. Their thinking is a continual source of problems, preventing them from recognizing opportunities, keeping them from exerting energy where it will do the most good, poisoning relationships, and leading them down blind alleys.

This course will introduce you to the tools the best thinkers use and will exemplify the activities and practices you can use to begin emulating them. Here are some of the qualities of the best thinkers:

• The best thinkers think about their thinking.    They do not take thinking for granted. They do not trust to fate to make them good in thinking. They notice  their thinking. They reflect   on their thinking. They   act  upon their thinking. 
• The best thinkers are highly purposeful.    They do not simply act. They know why they act. They know what they are about. They have clear goals and clear priorities. They continually check their activities for alignment with their goals. 

• The best thinkers distinguish their thoughts from their feelings and desires.    They know that wanting something to be so does not make it so. They know that one can be unjustifiably angry, afraid, or insecure. They do not let unexamined emotions determine their decisions. They have “discovered” their minds, and they examine the way their minds operate as a result. They take deliberate charge of those operations.
• The best thinkers routinely take thinking apart.    They “analyze” thinking. They do not trust the mind to analyze itself automatically. They realize that analyzing thinking is an art one must consciously learn. They realize that it takes knowledge of the parts of thinking, and practice in exercising control over them.
• The best thinkers routinely evaluate thinking, determining its strengths and weaknesses.    They do not trust the mind to evaluate itself automatically. They realize that the automatic ways in which the mind evaluates itself are inherently flawed. They realize that evaluating thinking is an art one must consciously learn. They realize that it takes knowledge of the universal standards for thinking, and practice in exercising control over them. 

This course, as a whole, will introduce you to the tools of mind that will help you reason well through the problems and issues you face - whether in the classroom, in your personal life, or in your professional life. If you take these ideas seriously, and practice using them, you can take command of the thinking that ultimately will command the quality of your life. 

• understand what critical thinking is, how it differs from other forms of human thought, and its foundational principles and concepts;
• become explicitly aware of the barriers to critical thinking development (egocentricity and sociocentricity), as well as how to recognize and overcome their many manifestations in daily life;
• analyze thinking by breaking it down into its fundamental components (the Elements of Thought), and learn how those components work together in reasoning;

• develop Intellectual Virtues, or desirable traits of mind, through practice over time;
• formulate clear, important, relevant questions;
• differentiate between questions of fact, of preference, and of reasoned judgment, and understand the best approaches to take for each of those categories;
• read critically and writing substantively;
• recognize the problem of media bias and propaganda as barriers to critical thought in individuals and human societies;
• develop a clear framework for ethical reasoning and understand how it differs from other modes of thought, such as religious, ideological, political, and legal thinking;
• learn the importance of fairminded critical thinking in self-actualization and the cultivation of fairminded critical homes, workplaces, classrooms, and societies; and
• understand the stages of critical thinking development, as well as determine your current such stage and what is required to ascend to higher stages.

CT701 - How to Infuse Critical Thinking Into Instruction, Part II: Advanced Course

Registration Closed

• Developing effective strategies for fostering fairminded critical thinking in instruction.
• Leading more advanced Socratic dialog.
• Deepening your understanding of the foundations of critical thinking. 

• Beginning to outline a Thinker's Guide to Critical Thinking within your field of study (showing proficiency in understanding the relationship between critical thinking and your field of study).
• Understanding more deeply the concepts of close reading and substantive writing, in order to better foster these understandings in student thought. 
• Placing the concept of fairminded critical thinking at the heart of teaching and learning, including an explicit emphasis on the development of Intellectual Virtues. 
• Understanding the roles played by native human pathologies of thought in impeding intellectual development. 
• Redesigning lessons with critical thinking at the heart of teaching and learning processes.
• Designing instructional assessment processes that dovetail with fostering critical thinking at every moment in teaching and learning. 

General Information

How the courses work, course format and platform, organization of the courses, live meetings, types of assignments, how to begin, how to submit assignments.

Assignments are submitted through the Center for Critical Thinking Community Online , either through the activities' 'Share' function or by posting to a private course forum.

Course Length

Weekly workload.

The assignments, if done well, will take an average of 3-4 hours per week for most participants.

If You Fall Behind

If cannot complete a module's assignments in time, please notify the instructor at your soonest availability. As long as you stay in communication, our instructors will accommodate your need for additional time as best they can.

Course Instructors

Each course is facilitated by an instructor educated in the Paul-Elder conception of critical thinking, under the direction of the Foundation's Senior Fellows. In recent years, some courses have been instructed by  Dr. Paul Bankes , while others have been instructed by Dr. Brian Barnes .

Our registration fee covers the cost of tuition and all course materials. This fee is $942.

Certificates of Completion

All course materials (reading, videos, etc.) are provided digitally online.

Withdrawing from a Course

Please see the ' Important Deadlines ' section at the top of this page.

Our Instructors

Testimonials

• 'I told my boss this week during a faculty meeting that this has been the best [higher education] course I've ever taken.'
• 'The instruction and course content was phenomenal. . . . this course has added significant value to my life.'
• 'I have really enjoyed this course. . . meetings were engaging and very informative. I plan to attend additional offerings this academic year.'

• "I would like to express my deepest appreciation to you [Dr. Linda Elder] and Richard Paul. You both created a system for life guidance through your very arduous work on critical thinking. Thank you for adding the intellectual virtues to critical thinking. Critical thinking without the intellectual virtues is still narrow-minded thinking. Thanks to [instructor] Paul Bankes [CT700], we could get familiar with fairminded critical thinking this semester in the class. Since I have also attended a couple of courses in psychology, I could better understand what majestic guidance you have created to help us have better lives by improving our way of thinking. I just wanted to say "THANK YOU" for each second you have devoted in this way. I will try to internalize fairminded critical thinking in my life and help to develop this idea as much as I possibly can. I hope one day I can claim that I am from the community of Fairminded Critical Thinking."
• "I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for allowing me to complete the CT700 Course. It has been the most humbling and enlightening experience of my academic life. . . . I will now embark on my vision to make a difference in the South African Education System. Once, again, my gratitude goes out to you . . . "
• "CT700 was an excellent course that changed my thinking and life. It was painful at times and I found it took time for me to meaningfully complete the assignments. As I worked through the first few weeks, I also wondered if I would be able to change my thinking process. By the end of the course, I grew personally and professionally in ways that I wasn’t sure were possible."